Sex-Specific Modeling of Summer Flounder

Summer flounder (also known as fluke) are a commercially and recreationally important species of flatfish found along the East coast of the United States and Canada. Like many species, summer flounder are sexually dimorphic – females grow faster and to larger sizes – which can lead to unequal harvest between sexes. The model currently used by NOAA Fisheries does not incorporate sex-specific differences and therefore may yield biased population estimates. Dr. Patrick Sullivan and I are working to create a set of alternate models that incorporate sex, length, and age. This project is jointly funded by the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund and the Science Center for Marine Fisheries